


The Red Orchid

by whymzycal



Category: Saiyuki
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-22
Updated: 2010-05-22
Packaged: 2017-10-09 16:03:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/89172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whymzycal/pseuds/whymzycal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Hakkai really did have to sell his body to provide for Gojyo and Goku while Sanzo was off with Hazel?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Red Orchid

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for _Saiyuki Reload vol. 7_. Brief mentions of past incest. Written for **velvetina_wonka** at the 2008 Yuletide Smut exchange on LJ. Special thanks to white_cross_b and meicdon13 for the beta work. Also, please note that the opening line isn't mine. It's from act 35 of _Saiyuki Reload vol. 7_ and is spoken by Hakkai.

"Two men, at your ages, who have never worked an honest day between you, are asking me to _sell my body_ just so I can feed you?" He'd meant it as a joke, to shame them into agreeing to do some real work with their own hands. And to their credit, they'd tried. They'd made a real effort of it. But in the end, Goku had fallen prey to his appetite and his tendency to eat indiscriminately while Gojyo had – unsurprisingly – followed his libido first into a co-worker's lap and then into a subsequent, spectacular firing.

_And now we've come to this_, Hakkai thought to himself. "Or I have. Really, it should be Gojyo, though," he said quietly. "He'd be a natural." He frowned as he spoke. The words made something in his stomach flutter unpleasantly when he said them aloud, and he wasn't sure if it was because they were unfair or because the idea of Gojyo spending the night with a woman for money was distasteful. He knew that sometimes, before they'd started living together as roommates, Gojyo'd slept with women to have a place to crash for the night, but that wasn't the same as… Hakkai pushed the unpleasant feeling and his thoughts away impatiently and untied his sash. He folded it neatly and set it on the seat of the chair where Hakuryuu was perched. Hakuryuu _kyuu_'d at him and fluttered down, curling up on the sash and nudging its folds more comfortably around himself with his nose.

"What? What'd I do now?" Gojyo looked up from the floor. He sat with his back wedged into the corner, his knees pulled up and his chin resting on his hands. He looked and sounded thoroughly dejected.

"Th' same thing you always do, you perv," Goku said. He was sitting kitty-corner from Gojyo, hunched in a near-identical position.

"Shut up, you bottomless monkey; I'm not the only one who screwed up." Goku opened his mouth to respond, golden eyes widening in indignation, but Hakkai stepped between them.

"Please, both of you. Neither of you has set a good example, so neither of you has room to talk. Now, the restaurant stays open late on the weekends to serve the bar next door, and I've been given an extra shift. The overtime should cover the deficit we've acquired from the two of you not working today. If we're lucky, I can make enough to tide us over to the next town since it's clear we can't stay here. The word is out on the both of you. Not even Mr. Yu will hire you as dishwashers, despite my assurances that you wouldn't eat the profits," he looked meaningfully at Goku, "or molest his waitresses." His sharp gaze flicked over to Gojyo and away just as quickly.

"That a fact?" Gojyo sounded like he didn't care, but Hakkai could hear the apology lurking just under the studied nonchalance.

"It is." Hakkai removed his headband and ran his hands through his hair. "Please, try to get some sleep. Watch over Hakuryuu, and I'll bring you some leftovers when my shift is done."

"Spring rolls, okay, Hakkai? And maybe meat buns? I mean," Goku said as Gojyo glared at him from his corner, "whatever you get, that'd be awesome. Thanks." He finished in a much more subdued voice than he'd started with.

"I'll see what we have left," Hakkai said, not unkindly. He took a deep breath and continued, speaking in the stern tone he'd once used on wayward students and had since employed to great effect on both Gojyo and Goku. "Stay out of the bars, Gojyo. No drinking, and no gambling. We don't have the money for it. And no wandering the streets looking for food vendors, Goku, not even to barter work for something. We won't be here long enough for you to work off what you'd eat." Hakkai gave them each a hard glance, his I'm-just-this-side-of-pissed-off-so-don't-push-me-or-you'll-be-sorry-for-days-in-ways-you-could-never-imagine smile firmly in place. Neither of them would meet his eyes, which suited him fine. He didn't want them to see what he was trying to hide. They both could read him entirely too well, Gojyo in particular, even if he was using a smile that he usually held in reserve for the most serious offenses. "Good night."

"'Night, Hakkai," Gojyo mumbled. He watched Hakkai's shoes as Hakkai walked over and opened the door.

"G'night," Goku said with slightly more enthusiasm. He waved as Hakkai shut the door. Hakkai leaned against it for a moment, eyes closed.

"Stupid monkey," said Gojyo, without any real heat.

"Dumbass cockroach." Goku's comeback lacked its usual snap.

"So. Wanna play some poker? Even a small-brained monkey like you'll get better if you practice."

"Shut up! I bet I can win at least half the time, even if you're cheating like you always do."

"Ho ho! Listen to the card sharp! Like you'd know when a real professional cheats…" Gojyo and Goku's voices faded as Hakkai pushed himself away from the door and started down the hall that led to the street.

The walk to the red light district was a short one that (thankfully) left him little time for reflection, and the establishment that Hakkai sought was easy to find – four doors down from the restaurant where he'd been working for the last two days. His daytime employer, Mr. Yu, had an older brother whom Hakkai had served during his first shift. The elder Yu had taken one look at Hakkai and offered him a job at the Red Orchid, much to Mr. Yu's irritation.

"You're certainly pretty enough. But there's a real strength there; I can tell. You'll appeal to both men and women."

Hakkai had smiled politely and declined. "I'm only in town for a few days, and I'm really not interested."

"I pay better than my brother does, and I don't mind temporary employees. Not if they're worth it. Besides, most change their mind after a few nights. I run a clean place, you know. Take good care of my girls – and my boys. Plenty stay after they've given the life a go; you can ask my brother there if you don't believe me." Mr. Yu had nodded, the expression on his face sour.

"That's true. He's stolen more than one good line cook and a dozen waitresses from me."

"Aha ha ha." Hakkai had smiled more widely and set the bowl of shrimp ramen in front of Mr. Yu's brother. "I thank you for the offer, Yu-san, but I've already accepted work here. Would you care for another beer?" His tone and the glint in his eye, he knew, had shut down any further attempts to convince him. The elder Yu had simply shrugged and picked up his chopsticks, murmuring that Hakkai would know where to find him if he changed his mind.

And then Gojyo and Goku had lost their jobs and made themselves completely unemployable in this town, and Hakkai'd felt it was in their collective best interest for him to at least consider Yu's offer. They couldn't stay here long enough for him to build up their funds by working at the restaurant – not with the way Gojyo and Goku went through cigarettes and food, respectively. Even if they were cutting back. Hakkai sighed as he stopped at the Red Orchid's back door. He squared his shoulders. It was useless to worry about it any further. He'd made his decision, and that was that.

The door opened before he could knock. He stood there, hand in the air and wrist cocked.

"You're right on time." Yu the Elder ushered him inside. Hakkai followed him across the small back room and down a narrow hallway before they stepped out into an elegant courtyard. "Room for bathing's there," Yu gestured at a door to Hakkai's left, "and there's some clothes to change into when you're done. Your first customer for the night will be in room four, in about half an hour." He pointed across the courtyard, at the fourth door from the right. "Like I said this afternoon, you'll get paid at the end of the night – a fair percentage of what you bring in. If your first patron decides he wants you for the night, you stay with him. I'll settle up in the morning if that's the case. If you finish quickly, it's back to the bathing room before you check with me for the next one. All right?"

Hakkai nodded. "'He'?"

"That going to be a problem? Earlier, you said you wouldn't mind. Pay's better, but I s'pose I could try putting you–"

"No, no. I said I wouldn't mind, and I don't." Hakkai smiled, projecting a cool professionalism – like he did this every day.

"Good. My brother says you're a stand-up kind of a guy, and he's usually a good judge of character. So'm I, for that matter. Any questions?"

"No, thank you, Yu-san." Hakkai waited until Yu closed the door to the courtyard before toeing off his shoes and stepping into the deserted bathing room. Next to one of the many tubs stood a wooden stool with some neatly folded clothing on top of it and a pair of light indoor slippers tucked beneath. Hakkai went to investigate and discovered a pair of drawstring trousers in a green silk just a few shades darker than his eyes and a matching, sleeveless tunic cut much like the one he usually wore. It seemed as though Yu'd taken his measure that first day. What an optimistic businessman he'd turned out to be, Hakkai thought. He refolded the clothes and set them aside before removing his own and beginning his bath. The soap was of a very high quality, and it left his skin soft and smelling faintly of cinnamon and sandalwood. He caught subtle whiffs of it as he pulled on the trousers and did up the tunic's fastenings. He hadn't been able to spend quite as much time as he'd have liked with his bath, but he wasn't here to enjoy himself – he was here to work. Putting it off wasn't going to make it any easier, and it certainly wasn't going to get him paid.

Hakkai bundled up his regular clothes and tucked them into an empty section of the lacquered cabinet near the bathroom door. They almost looked like they belonged there, in among the other piles of clothing and outdoor shoes. He grimaced faintly at the idea as he retrieved his own shoes and stowed them under his clothes, nodding politely when a slight young man walked through the door and past him. The young man looked as though he was about to speak, perhaps to greet Hakkai properly and introduce himself, but Hakkai stood quickly and left with a murmured apology. He didn't want to make any new acquaintances, and he didn't want to share "war stories." If he admitted that the bulk of his sexual experiences had been with his older sister… Well. Things might get awkward. In fact, his whole night might was almost guaranteed to have some awkwardness in it without any input from his fellow prostitutes.

Hakkai stumbled a bit as his foot caught on something. In his haste to put distance between himself and the other man, he'd managed to get across the courtyard before he'd realized it. He looked down at his feet and frowned. He should have walked along the covered wooden walkway that ringed the courtyard instead of taking the stone pathway, but it was too late to change that now. He looked back up, and the lines between his eyebrows grew deeper.

_…So. Here I am: room four._ No more trying not to think about what he was here for. No more thinking about it, either. Hakkai willed the frown from his face and stepped inside the room. _It's only for tonight, and there's no shame in it. And at least this is better than a street corner,_ he reminded himself. He kept his expression serene and his eyes down.

"You!" The bare-chested man standing in the middle of the room shifted his stance and reached for the pendant that hung around his neck. Hakkai looked up, startled, and began gathering his qi instinctively. He knew that voice.

"Kougaiji-san?" This man looked like Kougaiji – if Kougaiji had been born human. He still had the same tanned skin and handsome, serious features, though his hair was shorter and the aura of confidence and power that usually surrounded him was muted. But Hakkai's shocked surprise didn't last. He recovered quickly and forced himself to relax until his posture was entirely non-threatening. If he still happened to be reaching for his qi, he felt that was quite beside the point. "Kougaiji-san. I don't have the sutra, and Sanzo's not here."

"I'm not here for the sutra." Kougaiji looked distinctly out of place, his discomfort belonging on his human face about as well as it did on his youkai one. Hakkai sympathized, though he said nothing. He just waited as Kougaiji made an effort to relax as well. It was only the slight tightening of his fingers around the large pendant nestled in the hollow of his throat – Kougaiji's power limiter, Hakkai deduced – that showed he wasn't willing to completely let his guard down. "I'm not here for Sanzo or any of the rest of you, either," Kougaiji said.

"Then why are you– ah." Hakkai smoothed imaginary creases from the pristine fabric of his tunic as he fully loosed his hold on his qi. "Forgive me for saying so, but I had always thought that you and Yaone-san… or perhaps Dokugakuji-san…?"

"No," Kougaiji said quickly. He took his hand from the limiter. "They…" He cleared his throat and clenched his hand into a fist. "To take advantage of their loyalty – that would be unforgivable."

"Ah, I see." He did, and he understood – more than he wanted to. Substitute "friendship" for "loyalty," and… _Now is not the time. _Hakkai forced himself to stop thinking.

"And you, Cho Hakkai? Why are you here? As a… an employee?" Hakkai was oddly grateful that Kougaiji hadn't said "whore." Not that it wasn't true, even if for only the one night, but that was beside the point.

"I'm afraid," Hakkai's smile was rather unpleasant, "that we've temporarily fallen on hard times."

Kougaiji raised an eyebrow. His lip curled. "To think that Sanzo would stoop to asking any of–"

"I've already told you, Kougaiji-san," Hakkai said, cutting him off. He spoke with excruciating politeness. "Sanzo isn't here. But beyond that, I make my own choices, regardless of who might be asking me for a favor."

"A favor."

"Favor? No, not quite. Not this." Hakkai's smile changed. This new smile was as equally unpleasant as the first, with the added benefit of showing some teeth. "And Sanzo doesn't ask for favors. But it's as I've said: Sanzo isn't here."

"And I told you: I don't want Sanzo. I want nothing to do with sutras or the revival right now. That's not why I'm here." Kougaiji kept his tone even, but Hakkai could see that he was growing increasingly tense and beginning to lose his patience. For Kougaiji to be here, wearing a limiter and paying for a night's companionship… Well. Hakkai was certain that Kougaiji's needs were uncomfortable and frustrating, just as his own were proving to be – when he let himself think about them. And Kougaiji had to be as conflicted as he was – perhaps even more unhappy and desperate than he was, though Hakkai rather doubted that.

"I see." Hakkai lowered his voice until it was soft and soothing. "In that case, we can either begin, or I can ask the proprietor to send in someone else for you."

"No." Once again, Kougaiji spoke a little too quickly. "This is fine." His eyes were dark, shadowed with misery and need. Hakkai wondered whether he'd see himself reflected in them if he got close enough.

"Very well." _Maybe it's better this way_, Hakkai thought. He hadn't touched anyone in this way since Kanan. Oh, he'd wanted to, once he'd finally decided that he wanted to try living a little for himself – but he hadn't gone through with it. He wondered fleetingly if he should have taken the risk sometime in the last year – would he have, if he'd known that his first time since Kanan was going to be like this? _Stop. There's no point in wondering anymore. This is what you've decided on._ Hakkai took a deep breath and crossed the room in five steps. Kougaiji watched him approach, his expression a little wary, but Hakkai only smiled at him. This time, the curve of his lips was reassuring, showing nothing of what he was really thinking. He reached for Kougaiji hesitantly, sliding his fingertips along Kougaiji's cheek and into his hair. The color was a little too dark and Kougaiji's hair wasn't quite soft enough, but if he squinted, Hakkai could almost pretend that he was touching someone else.

Kougaiji closed his eyes as he parted his lips, and Hakkai leaned forward.

The kiss began tentatively, but as the awkwardness between them lessened, Hakkai found that it became easier to focus on the sensations of the kiss instead of who he was kissing. He could have been kissing anyone, really – almost any man. Kougaiji thrust his tongue into Hakkai's mouth hungrily as he moved his hands to Hakkai's waist and gripped the dark green silk in his fists. He pulled Hakkai closer and moaned softly into their kiss when Hakkai began tugging at his belt.

Kougaiji's belt came undone quickly, and it took even less time to open the front of his jeans. He wore nothing beneath them, and when Hakkai's fingers brushed against the warm, swelling flesh there, Kougaiji let his breath out in a rush. He dropped his head against Hakkai's shoulder. Hakkai could feel the soft flutter of Kougaiji's eyelashes against the thin silk of his tunic, and he ran his fingers through Kougaiji's hair again. "Kougaiji-san," he began. Kougaiji lifted his head, eyes fixed on Hakkai's mouth, and moved in for another rough kiss. He was shutting his eyes once more when he slid his hands beneath the waistband of Hakkai's silk trousers and cupped his buttocks.

Hakkai watched him through the tangle of his eyelashes. Yes, Kougaiji's skin and hair were a few shades too dark, but still… He couldn't deny it. The youkai prince tasted and felt good, and Hakkai found himself wondering – how would…? He didn't let himself finish the thought, but the mere hint of the idea made him flush with desire. He threaded his fingers through Kougaiji's hair, holding him still so he could kiss him more deeply, and rubbed his growing, silk-clad erection against Kougaiji's cock. Kougaiji tore his mouth away from Hakkai's and groaned. He tilted his head back and gripped Hakkai's hips hard, grinding against him almost desperately.

"Kougaiji-san," Hakkai began once more. He stumbled over the middle part as Kougaiji's thumb brushed over a sensitive spot just over his hipbone.

"Don't…" Kougaiji gasped faintly. He ground his pelvis against Hakkai's once more, a little less desperately this time. "Don't call…" He made a soft noise as Hakkai reached between them and began to stroke his cock. Hakkai was watching him carefully, noticing that Kougaiji's eyes remained closed. The few times when he did have them open, he kept his gaze on Hakkai's mouth. Hakkai kissed him again, swallowing Kougaiji's quiet moan as his hand kept moving, and then brought his mouth to Kougaiji's ear.

"Kougaiji… Kou…?" The youkai prince shuddered and began thrusting into Hakkai's fist. He was biting his lower lip. Hakkai leaned away from him and said softly, "You're not looking at me. Do you…? Kougaiji, I could blindfold you…" He watched as Kougaiji closed his eyes more tightly, screwing them shut for a brief moment before opening them and finally _looking_ at him.

"All right." Hakkai could almost – _almost_ – hear the "please" lurking somewhere beneath the want in Kougaiji's voice. Kougaiji took a small step back, hands falling to his sides.

"If I'm to be honest," Hakkai said quietly, "and I feel that I must, I should tell you that I'm not offering entirely for your benefit."

Kougaiji's gaze remained steady. "I know."

Hakkai saw no judgment and no censure in Kougaiji's eyes – there was only the misery and need he'd seen before, joined now by the flickering heat of arousal.

"Well, then." The words came out on a sigh as Hakkai glanced over at the bed and back at Kougaiji. Kougaiji walked over to it and sat down on its edge, and Hakkai followed him. He began pulling open the drawers in the nightstand at the head of the bed. "I think there must be something… Ah, yes." Hakkai looked thoughtfully at the drawer filled with condoms in all colors and sizes, and packets of lube in various flavors. He pulled out a handful of the paraphernalia and set it on top of the nightstand before sliding that drawer shut and opening the next one. He let none of his residual nervousness show. "Aha. I don't think we'll have any need of these tonight, unless… delayed gratification is a particular pleasure of yours?" Hakkai touched one of the cock rings tentatively and looked over his shoulder. Kougaiji shook his head once before looking away. "Hmm, I thought not. Oh! Here we are." Lengths of coiled rope, elegantly twisted silken cords, handcuffs, and a few soft scarves were all stowed neatly in the deep bottom drawer. Hakkai picked up a black scarf and held it out to Kougaiji. "Would you prefer it if I–?"

"No." Kougaiji took the scarf and tied it around his head, tugging the black cloth down so that his vision was obscured. He rested his hands on his knees when he was done, tensing up slightly at first and then relaxing when Hakkai sat next to him. Hakkai moved closer so that Kougaiji could feel his body heat and laid his hand gently on the warm skin of Kougaiji's chest. The youkai prince reached for him immediately, showing none of the hesitation that Hakkai felt though he could no longer see, and wrapped his fingers around Hakkai's wrist. He tugged, guiding Hakkai's hand to the open fly of his jeans and his still-hard cock.

It was easier now – the kissing and touching. Kougaiji was still himself, but with his eyes covered and the power limiter on, it was that much easier to pretend that he was someone else. Hakkai pushed Kougaiji down to the mattress and then pulled at him until they were lying lengthwise on the bed and facing each other. Kougaiji's hand drifted under Hakkai's tunic, his short, blunt fingernails scratching lightly across Hakkai's skin. He moved his hand slowly, following the line of Hakkai's ribs and brushing over the stiff nub of his nipple. Hakkai shivered, licking between Kougaiji's lips and into his mouth as Kougaiji teased him. Kougaiji hummed low in his throat and moved his hand to Hakkai's waist, fumbling for the drawstring of Hakkai's trousers.

Kougaiji's hand was hot and rough in all the right places, and Hakkai had to fight back a groan when Kougaiji palmed his cock. He shoved at Kougaiji's pants insistently, and the youkai prince lifted his hips awkwardly to let Hakkai pull the denim down before kicking the jeans to the floor. As soon as he was fully naked, Kougaiji began tugging at Hakkai's tunic, gathering the silk in his fist and pushing it upward to expose Hakkai's stomach and chest. His knuckles scraped along Hakkai's side, and Hakkai shivered again.

"All r-right," Hakkai managed. He unfastened the closures on his tunic and guided Kougaiji's hands so he could help with pulling it over his head before sitting up and turning his attention to the silk trousers. When he was done, he lay back down against Kougaiji and skimmed his fingers over Kougaiji's hip. Kougaiji splayed his hand against Hakkai's back and drew him closer.

Their touches were more urgent now – hungrier, especially on Kougaiji's part. And when Kougaiji leaned into Hakkai, pressing more of their skin together and shifting his hips so that their erections slid against each other, Hakkai was unable to stifle his sounds of desire. He thrust back against Kougaiji, pushing against him until he had Kougaiji pinned beneath him. He licked into Kougaiji's mouth again, tasting the noises Kougaiji made and swallowing them as Kougaiji rocked his hips up, over and over. Hakkai could feel the hard, hot length of Kougaiji's cock rubbing against his, could feel it leaving a slippery trail across his hip and the heated skin of his stomach. He pulled his mouth away and began moving downward, leaving an unsteady line of faint pink marks as he nipped and sucked his way down Kougaiji's neck and chest. Kougaiji began to breathe faster and spread his legs so they were bracketing first Hakkai's hips and waist, and then his ribs. Hakkai paused when he reached Kougaiji's stomach. He traced the outside of the youkai prince's navel and dipped the tip of his tongue inside. Kougaiji sucked in a shaking breath and brought his hands up clumsily, tangling his fingers in Hakkai's hair. He pushed gently, and Hakkai slid down a little farther, licking at the precome smeared low on Kougaiji's stomach.

Kougaiji tasted different from what he'd expected. Or perhaps that was his own fluid, slippery and tasting of the salt from Kougaiji's skin. Hakkai parted his lips and guided the head of Kougaiji's cock into his mouth. He licked gently, mapping the feel of the slit; the folds of the foreskin; the smooth, hot skin of the shaft. He could hear Kougaiji's harsh breathing at the head of the bed, and he flicked his gaze upward. The youkai prince had his hands fisted in the bedspread. He shook as his mouth made silent shapes – shapes that might have been a name – over and over again. Hakkai swallowed around him, relaxing his throat, and Kougaiji's hips jerked upward. He unclenched his hands from the bedspread and brought one of them up to tug at Hakkai's hair again while he groped uncertainly toward the nightstand with the other.

"Stop," he rasped. Hakkai went still. Kougaiji was almost at his limit; it wouldn't take much for Hakkai to bring him to orgasm.

"Kougaiji?"

Kougaiji grabbed a few of the lube packets and condoms from the nightstand. He dropped them onto the bed, somewhere near his thigh. "Fuck me," he said. Hakkai blinked. Somehow, he'd been under the impression that as part of his job this evening, he was going to be _getting_ fucked – not be doing the fucking.

"Kougai–?"

_"Now."_ Despite the forcefulness Kougaiji's tone, Hakkai could hear the plea in that one word. He rose to his knees and retrieved a packet of lube from the bed. His hands were a bit unsteady, so he had to tear it open with his teeth. Kougaiji flinched a little when Hakkai slid cold, slick fingers down the crack of his ass, but when Hakkai began to ease his index and middle fingers into him, he pushed down with his hips, taking Hakkai to the second knuckle immediately. Hakkai pressed deeper, moving his fingers in and out a few times, and spread them apart. "N-now," Kougaiji said again in a voice ragged with need. He tilted his head to the side, curling and uncurling his fingers with impatience as he listened to Hakkai first struggling with the condom wrapper, then rolling the condom on.

Hakkai pushed into Kougaiji slowly. Kougaiji was hot and tight even through the barrier of the condom, and they were both panting hard by the time Hakkai was fully inside him. "Move," Kougaiji whispered. Hakkai pulled his hips back slightly and then pressed forward. "More," Kougaiji gasped. He felt for Hakkai's arm and found it, moving his palm up the curve of Hakkai's forearm until he was gripping his bicep tightly. He fumbled with the other hand, feeling uncertainly along Hakkai's neck until his fingertips were in Hakkai's hair. The contact made Hakkai's scalp tingle, and then he was shivering as Kougaiji gently traced his thumb along the curve of his ear. Kougaiji paused over the cool metal of Hakkai's limiters before he arched into Hakkai's next thrust.

Hakkai sank into Kougaiji again, and as Kougaiji rose to meet him, nails digging into Hakkai's arm, he pulled the limiters from Hakkai's ear. Hakkai froze. He could feel himself changing, could feel his skin and bones and muscle shifting and his senses growing sharper. He threw his head back and let out a sound somewhere between a pained groan and an angry growl.

He smelled sex. Oh, yes. He could smell it all: sex and arousal, despair and guilt, shame and need – both his and Kougaiji's. He growled again, glaring down at the blindfolded Kougaiji, and gripped the youkai prince's hips tightly. The sharp points of his claws cut into Kougaiji's tanned skin and drew pinpricks of blood as he pulled Kougaiji closer to him. He bent forward, hot breath washing over Kougaiji's face.

"Is this what you wanted?" he demanded. He fucked into Kougaiji before the youkai prince could answer, hips snapping forward almost brutally as he punished them both by going right up to the edge of _too much_ – without quite crossing over. Kougaiji cried out with each thrust, the sounds raw and desperate. He moved his hips in counterpoint to Hakkai's, trying to take him even deeper, and dug his nails into Hakkai's shoulders. Hakkai leaned over him, catching Kougaiji's face with one clawed hand to hold him still. His hips surged forward, and he swallowed Kougaiji's moan with an angry, biting kiss that left both of their mouths a little bloody.

It wasn't who he wanted, so it wasn't what he wanted – not really. And yet? Hakkai kissed Kougaiji again, a little more gently this time, and sucked the blood from his split lip. He _did_ want this – this raw, primal fucking. He thrust into Kougaiji again. He could feel Kougaiji trembling beneath him, could smell Kougaiji's growing arousal, could hear Kougaiji's moans growing more desperate. He pulled back and took Kougaiji's cock in his hand, mindful of his claws, and began to jack the youkai prince roughly, moving his hand in time with his thrusts. It only took a few strokes before Kougaiji's spine snapped taut and he was digging bloody scratches down Hakkai's arm. Hakkai rode out Kougaiji's release by fucking into him again and again, finally beginning to feel something gathering deep within him. It swelled inside him, and he thrust into Kougaiji one last time, forcing himself in as deep as he could go before he surrendered to the blinding pleasure that swept over him.

Hakkai allowed himself a few ragged breaths before he pulled away. He tried to be gentle under the circumstances, but he saw Kougaiji wince slightly. He couldn't find it in himself to be particularly sorry. He climbed off of the bed and walked away to dispose of the condom, ignoring Kougaiji entirely. When he came back to the bed, still ignoring Kougaiji, he saw the glint of his limiters. They were caught in a deep valley of fabric between the rumpled hills of the disarranged bedspread. He turned away and put them on with shaking hands. He felt a little hollow inside, a little empty. Physically, he felt sated – for the first time since… His heart thumped in his chest. _Kanan._ And then, _Gojyo._ It had never been like this with Kanan. But Gojyo… Hakkai wondered: would he feel like this if he and Gojyo fucked? Gojyo, who was so different from Kanan but who had become so important to him? He didn't think so, but he didn't know if he was truly ready to find out. The only thing he was reasonably certain of was this: he didn't think he could do this again. Not tonight.

Perhaps his heart wasn't as small as he'd thought it was. Not anymore.

He turned back to the bed and saw that Kougaiji had removed the blindfold, but was keeping his eyes closed. Hakkai took note of the bruises and scratches he'd left behind, and he cleared his throat softly.

"Kougaiji-san."

"It's fine." Kougaiji sat up slowly. He looked around for a moment before picking up the scarf and using it to wipe the semen from his stomach. His careless cleanup smeared some of the blood above his hip. Hakkai might not have been able to smell the way Kougaiji felt now that he had his limiters on, but he could see it in the slight slump of the youkai prince's shoulders and the shadows in his eyes. Like Hakkai, he might be physically sated, but Hakkai was willing to bet that the ache in his chest had grown.

"Kougaiji-san," Hakkai said firmly. "It wouldn't be taking advantage. Dokugakuji-san – and Yaone-san – what they feel for you goes beyond loyalty. And," he cocked his head, noticing the way Kougaiji's skin flushed a little darker as he spoke, "I think you already knew that." Kougaiji shook his head.

"They are loyal to a fault. And I think they might confuse that loyalty with something else."

Hakkai raised an eyebrow and reached for the green silk trousers and tunic. "Oh? I find that difficult to believe. But then… Perhaps that's what you're afraid of? That it would be misplaced loyalty and not what you want from them?" Hakkai's expression was mild, but his tone was sharp. He could feel Kougaiji's eyes on him as he pulled on his clothes. "At the very least, going to them would be taking advantage somewhat less than this was." He gathered his healing qi and held his hand over the scratches on his arm. They closed over and disappeared quickly so that nothing but a few streaks of drying blood were left. "Kougaiji-san. May I offer you my services as a healer before I go?"

Kougaiji shook his head.

"Very well, then. Good evening." Hakkai reached for the door, noticing that his hands were still shaking slightly from anger and adrenaline.

"Cho Hakkai." Kougaiji's tone sounded different than it had earlier in the evening: a bit chastened, but also more certain.

"Yes?"

"Maybe I'm not the only one who has someone else he should be going to." Hakkai pressed his lips together. Kougaiji was right – everything he'd said to Kougaiji held true for himself. But he'd think about that later, when he could. Right now he just needed to leave.

"Hakkai…" Kougaiji was standing behind him now. Hakkai looked over his shoulder, hand still on the door.

"Yes, Kougaiji-san?" Kougaiji didn't flinch back from Hakkai's cool tone or the look in his narrowed eyes.

"Thank you. And…I'm sorry."

Hakkai nodded once. "Please give Yaone-san, Dokugakuji-san, and your sister my regards." It was all the acknowledgment and acceptance Hakkai could give, and he knew Kougaiji understood. Kougaiji inclined his head in response and turned away to find his clothes.

Hakkai left the room without looking back. They had nothing else to say to one another, and it seemed as though he had some thinking to do before he returned to Gojyo and Goku. _Gojyo… and Goku._ He would take another bath, change back into his own clothes, and collect his earnings from Yu-san. If his calculations were correct, he'd be able to buy some spring rolls and meat buns to take back to the inn. And if they were lucky, the money left over might even be enough to get supplies that would see them to the next big town on the map.

_And perhaps,_ Hakkai thought to himself, _just perhaps, this time Gojyo and Goku will manage to keep their jobs for a while._


End file.
